Joint Call : UiT The Arctic University of Norway / Université Laval

GENERAL INFORMATION

The joint project proposal must provide information on the proposed project in relation to the eligibility criteria and general objectives of the joint call for proposals. It is evaluated according to the Evaluation Criteria for Research Projects (Appendix B).

General presentation

Use the Letter or A4 paper format and leave a margin of 2 cm all around. Write the name of the two principal investigators at the top of each page and number the pages consecutively. The proposal must be completed with the Arial font with a size of at least 11 pts. Use single line spacing. Compressed characters are not accepted.

Illustrations and graphics may be included, but will be counted in the maximum number of pages indicated below. Text, graphics or illustrations can be presented in one or two columns. Any excess pages or documents other than those required will be removed.

Language

Proposals must be written in English. The Evaluation Committee will be composed of an equal number of members from UiT and ULaval and the working language of the committee will be English.

Deadline and submission

An electronic copy including all sections of the project proposal (a single .pdf document less than 10Mb) as well as the associated Excel Budget table must be sent by email to info@sn.ulaval.ca no later than February 18, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of their application within 48 hours of receipt.

CONTENT OF THE PROJECT PROPOSAL (PP)

Please use the titles and section numbers as suggested below when writing your proposal. You must complete all sections. Limit text to proposed maximum length for each section, additional text will be removed.

1. Title

The title must clearly and concisely indicate the purpose of the project. The project title will be used for publication purposes.

2. Project summary (Max. 500 words)

Provide a summary of the project that describes the main elements of the proposed research, the nature of the collaboration and activities to be funded, and the anticipated impacts. This summary will be used in the selection process, as well as for communication purposes.

3. Team (Max. 1 page)

3.1 Name and affiliation of the co-principal investigators

In the spirit of collaboration, one researcher from each of the two funding institutions act as co-principal investigators for a project. Enter the name of each principal investigator followed by their affiliation (faculty, department, centre, institute) with ULaval and UiT. Briefly indicate the scientific contribution of each principal investigator to the project. Other researchers must be indicated as co-investigators or collaborators.

3.2 Co-Investigators

Co-investigators are researchers who contribute significantly to the direction and progress of the project. They may for example co-supervise students and receive some of the project funding. Enter the names of the co-investigators followed by their affiliation (faculty, department, centre, institute) with ULaval and UiT. For each co-investigator, please briefly indicate their scientific contribution to the project.

3.3 Collaborators

Collaborators are researchers from ULaval, UIT or another research organization who bring specific expertise to the project. Collaborators do not receive direct project funding. Enter the names of the collaborators followed by the names of their affiliated organizations. For each collaborator, please briefly indicate their scientific contribution to the project.

3.4 Partners

Please indicate the organizations that may be involved in funding your project through financial assistance (cash and/or in-kind), collaboration, hosting and co-supervision of interns or access to data. Letters of support from these organizations are required in section 10.

4. Objectives and relevance (Max. 1 page)

Please describe the proposed objectives of the research proposal and how they relate to Sentinel North’s conceptual framework and UiT’s strategy. What are the main issues addressed by the research project?

5. Project description, methodology, novelty and complementarity (Max. 2 pages)

Provide a summary of the project, its methodology and expected results. Highlights the originality and novelty of the proposed research, in terms of the hypotheses/research questions addressed, novel technology/methodology, and/or novel applications of current technology/methodology. Highlight the level of integration and coherence of the team, the complementarity of their expertise as well as the added and innovative value of the proposed collaboration relative to research already conducted by the proponents.

6. Transdisciplinarity, training and mobility (Max. 1 page)

Transdisciplinary research is defined as research efforts conducted by investigators from different disciplines working jointly to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological and translational innovations that integrate and move beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem.

Indicate how your project will adopt a transdisciplinary approach and briefly describe the ability of the team and the proposed project to train graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows in a transdisciplinary environment.

Indicate how your projects will encourage interaction of students from one institution with collaborators in the partner institution by encouraging opportunities for work terms, co-supervision of students, reciprocal laboratory visits and joint workshops.

7. Impacts (Knowledge and technology transfer) (Max. 1 page)

Describe the knowledge and/or technology transfer efforts planned to reach the different target audiences (scientific community, northern populations, stakeholders, general public). Indicate how the results of your research will have an impact on northern regions and/or their inhabitants (if applicable).

8. Budget

Only the principal investigator and co-investigators are eligible to receive funding. For ULaval researchers, eligibility criteria for expenses are available on the Apogee Program website.

The maximum total funding per project will be 75 000 CAD (～ 480 000 NOK) per year, for a maximum of 3 years (Grand total of 225 000 CAD). UiT and SN/ULaval will each provide half of the funding.

Using the Excel table provided here, provide details for the budget requested for your project on an annual basis for each of the Budget item categories.

As part of the main project proposal, under item 8. Budget, provide a brief description and justification for each budget item requested in the budget table (ex: Item 1c -1 Phd student at ULaval at 18K /year in Years 1 to 3)

Provide an explanation of the cash and in-kind contributions that your project will receive from partners and collaborators. A letter of support from the contributor is requested in section 10. (ex: Example: 10K cash contribution from Company X in support of shiptime in Year 2)

9. Short CVs (6 max)

Please attach a maximum of 6 short CVs (max. 1 page each) including that of each co-principal investigator and the main co-investigators from each institution. Each short CV will include:

• Name, title and affiliation of the person
• Diplomas and academic training
• Experience and affiliations
• Expertise and distinctions
• Highlights of research funding over the past five years
• Most significant contributions over the last five years
• Supervision and training over the last 5 years

10. Letters of support

Letters of support must:

• Emanate from a representative with authority to commit the organization's contribution;
• Indicate the level, duration, nature (cash and/or in kind) of support planned for the project;
• Describe the potential involvement and added value of the project for the organization's current and future activities;
• Indicate current and past relationships with project members;

The signature of the authorized representatives of the supporting organizations means that the latter:

• Accepts the content of the request and will provide the resources it has committed to provide;
• Agrees that the public summary of the grant will be released and that the name of the organization as a sponsor of the initiative will be published.

If the project co-leader or investigator is also the head of a support organization, another senior manager must sign on behalf of the company.

Research Team and complementarity

• Leadership experience and competence of project co-leaders.


• Excellence, focus and coherence of the research team.


• Expertise and achievements of the applicants and collaborators, as demonstrated by training experience and scientific productivity over the past five years (publications, grants held, etc.).


• Appropriateness of the team of applicants and collaborators to carry out the proposed research, in terms of the complementarity of expertise in both institutions.

Relevance to the overall objectives of the call and value added

• Extent to which the proposed project is aligned with Sentinel North’s conceptual framework and UiT's strategy and priority areas.


• Value added of the proposed project relative to research already conducted by the proponents.

Merit, novelty and complementarity of the research

• Originality and novelty of the proposed research, in terms of the hypotheses/research questions addressed, novel technology/methodology, and/or novel applications of current technology/methodology.


• Clarity of rationale for the research approach and methodology.


• Feasibility within the project timeframe: the project must have a clear and coherent work plan and milestones that demonstrate a high probability of achieving the objectives within the funding period time frame.


• Adequacy of both physical and human resources needed to support the proposed research.


• Optimization of resources through the sharing of equipment and research facilities, databases and personnel.


• Presence, nature and extent of scientific contributions from other partners and collaborators.


• Northern collaboration: for projects working in the Canadian North, a partnership plan to involve Northern organizations and communities in the research and knowledge and technology exchange activities (if applicable).

Transdisciplinarity

• Transdisciplinary research is defined as research efforts conducted by investigators from different disciplines working jointly to create new conceptual, theoretical, methodological and translational innovations that integrate and move beyond discipline-specific approaches to address a common problem.


• Capacity for the proposed team and project to carry transdisciplinary research.


• Capacity of the proposed project to train HQP in a transdisciplinary environment.

Training of highly qualified personnel (HQP)

• Number of HQP supported and trained in relation to project budget and scope.


• Training strategy that promotes and encourages interaction of trainees from one institution with collaborators in the partner institution as well as collaboration and interdisciplinary training in a trans-sector research approach.


• Potential to expose students to practical aspects of research by encouraging opportunities for work terms, co-supervision of students, reciprocal laboratory visits and joint workshops.

Knowledge and Technology Exchange

• The proposal must identify how the project results will be shared with the research community, partners and the general public.


• Identify how the results will contribute to increasing the national and international research visibility of UiT and SN/UL.

Budget

• Clarity and detail of justification for all budget items.


• Justification for the level and duration of funding requested vis-à-vis the stated objectives and milestones.


• Leverage of funds by cash and in-kind contributions from other sources.


• Appropriateness of the overall budget, which includes funds requested as part of this call and the cash and in-kind contributions from other sources.


• Eligibility of expenses for the SN/ULaval teams are available on the CFREF website at: www.cfref-apogee.gc.ca/program-programme/administer-administrer-eng.aspx  

Evaluation process

All applications will be reviewed by a committee with an equal number of members from UiT and SN/ULaval.

Conflict of interest

UiT and SN/ULaval will strive to ensure that the funding decisions are fair and objective and that they are seen as such. No committee member with a conflict of interest may participate in the review of a proposal.

Conflict of interest occurs whenever a committee member:

• is the Project Leader or a Co-Investigator on the proposal.
• is at the same department or research centre as the Project Leader(s) or an applicant on the proposal.
• is a relative or close personal friend of the Project Leader(s) or an applicant on the proposal.
• has published or co-authored publications with the Project Leader(s) or an applicant on the proposal.
• has had long-standing scientific or personal differences with the Project Leader(s) or an applicant on the proposal.
• is in a position to gain or lose financially from the outcome of the project.
• feels, for any reason, that she/he cannot provide an objective review of the proposal.

Any committee member who has such a conflict in regard to a proposal must promptly disclose the conflict to the Chair of the Review Committee who will determine if it constitutes a Conflict of Interest and what measures are required. These measures may include recusal.

Confidentiality

The Review Committee members accept not to misuse non-public information that is disclosed to him/her through the evaluation process.

The committee members are required to declare any conflict of interest with respect to the applications that are being evaluated.

Members of the review committee must:

• Treat as confidential any information and documents, in any form (i.e. paper or electronic), disclosed in writing or orally in relation to the performance of the evaluation;
• Not disclose, directly or indirectly, confidential information or documents relating to proposals or applicants;
• Not discuss any proposal with others, including other evaluators or staff not directly involved in evaluating the proposal, except during formal discussions at review committee meetings;
• Not disclose any detail of the evaluation process and its outcomes for any purpose other than fulfilling their tasks as evaluator;
• Not disclose the names of other experts participating in the evaluation;
• Not communicate with applicants during or after the evaluation until a final decision has been made with respect to the applications.

A copy of these guidelines will be made available to all members of the Review Committee.